Raid at Altenburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raid at Altenburg |
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| Part of the War of the Sixth Coalition | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 French Empire |
 Saxony Russia |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Johann von Thielmann |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 6,500 | 1,500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2,100 dead, wounded and captured | 200 dead or wounded | ||||||
The Raid at Altenburg was a surprise attack that happened on September 28, 1813. It was part of the War of the Sixth Coalition, a big conflict where many European countries fought against Napoleon's French Empire. This specific event took place during the autumn fighting in Saxony, a region in Germany.
The raid was led by a group called the Streifkorp, which was a special unit of soldiers. It was commanded by a Saxon General named Johann von Thielmann. His force had about 1,500 cavalry soldiers. These included seven groups of Cossacks (Russian horsemen), a squadron each of Saxon Hussars and Dragoons (types of cavalry), and a small group of Saxon Freikorps. The main goal of this raid was to bother the French army's supply routes. These routes were about 25 miles (45 km) south of Leipzig, a city where a very important battle was about to happen.
What Happened at Altenburg?
General Thielmann's forces completely surprised the French army. The French had a much larger force, about 6,500 soldiers. This included some of Napoleon's best cavalry, the Imperial Guard Cavalry. There was also a small group of infantry soldiers from Baden. The French were led by Charles, comte Lefebvre-Desnouettes, though he wasn't directly in command of all the troops there.
Because they were so surprised, the French soldiers quickly broke apart and ran away from Altenburg. They lost a lot of men, about 2,100, who were either killed, hurt, or captured. The Baden infantry tried to fight back, but they were overwhelmed and taken prisoner. General Thielmann's force had much fewer losses, with only about 200 soldiers killed or wounded. This raid was a clear victory for the forces fighting against Napoleon.
